Summer is here and school is out. But, that doesn't mean your child won't be worked hard. But, not in the classroom. A recent study shows since 2000, little leaguers are now five times more likely to get hurt, some of which can be pretty serious.

A local pediatrician tells us she is constantly performing knee surgery on young athletes. And, she has seen it all -- from torn ligaments to bone fractures and what's even called 'little league elbow'.

Officials say the increase in injuries is because nowadays kids are taking the field year-round, practicing every day with long hours.

The trend being seen now is one-sport athletes who start as young as eight years old. Doctors say that can cause repetitive overuse of the same muscles.

In baseball, they are seeing injuries in kids that are worse than major leaguers. Coach and former OU pitcher Mike Ponio tells us it's because the attitude in sports, even at this age, has become all about winning.

"All of a sudden we're going to play catch with these kids, put them on a mound and say 'throw a curveball, throw sliders, throw everything you can to win'," Ponio says. "And, they may win now, but when they are 15, 16 or 17, their careers are over."

This year, the National Little League Association adopted pitch count rules to protect young pitching arms. Now, coaches have to count the actual number of pitches thrown, rather than innings pitched, to determine the next time a player can pitch.